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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26749537">I was thinking of the right words to say (they don't sound the way I planned)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/buoyantsaturn/pseuds/buoyantsaturn'>buoyantsaturn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>auctober2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Chef Nico di Angelo, Doctor Will Solace, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:00:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26749537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/buoyantsaturn/pseuds/buoyantsaturn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“What the fuck, is there a fucking convention in town?” Nico snapped at him. So much for all that calm he was feeling. “You’re like the eighth doctor that’s come by and bitched at me for smoking today.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nico di Angelo/Will Solace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>auctober2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Solangelo Auctober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello and happy auctober!!! pretend the long distance and chef/kitchen prompts were swapped ok?<br/>enjoy!</p><p>title from the song the promise by reel big fish</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>If Nico held onto this cigarette any longer, it was going to burn his fingers, but he was so desperate to maintain the calm he felt outside of his kitchen that he would hold onto that moment - and his cigarette - as long as he possibly could. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know those things will kill you, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Never mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico groaned and tipped his head back against the brick wall behind him. He looked down the steps to where some tall, blond man was standing, grinning up at Nico like he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so proud</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the way he was harassing Nico in that moment. The thing that stuck out about him most, though, was the bright white lab coat he was wearing over his business-casual clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck, is there a fucking convention in town?” Nico snapped at him. So much for all that calm he was feeling. “You’re like the eighth doctor that’s come by and bitched at me for smoking today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man frowned, his head tilting to the side in a way that Nico might have thought was cute if this asshole wasn’t going out of his way to irritate him. “Uh, yeah? There’s a surgical convention here this weekend. I would’ve assumed they would tell their kitchen staff about something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico glared - he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> kitchen staff, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>ran </span>
  </em>
  <span>the kitchen, but he wasn’t about to waste his breath telling this guy. Instead, he spat, “And do </span>
  <em>
    <span>all doctors</span>
  </em>
  <span> tend to walk around the backs of hotels to bother the </span>
  <em>
    <span>kitchen staff?”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The blond was back to grinning now, though it seemed a little more tense than before. Nico smirked to himself internally. Two could play at this game. “Some of us like to get our exercise in,” he said sweetly. “It’s healthy, and we get to enjoy some fresh air. You should try it sometime.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s nose scrunched in frustration, and he flicked his cigarette filter at the man’s feet. He turned on his heel and ripped the door open with more force than was necessary, heading inside. He had dinner to cook, and he didn’t want to look at another pair of blue eyes like those </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever again.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>While his restaurant didn’t open until four in the afternoon, Nico was always there by noon to make sure the kitchen was clean and ready to serve. Sometimes the process took longer than others, so whenever he found himself with a lighter day, he would take his break at the receptionist’s desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel was behind the desk, just as Nico suspected she would be that afternoon, and Nico made himself comfortable sitting on the back counter. He took a long pull from the takeout coffee cup in his hand, itching for a cigarette but hoping the caffeine would suffice for now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as a cluster of doctors walked through the lobby on their way to the connected convention center, and he groaned. “I can’t believe those assholes are going to be here for another </span>
  <em>
    <span>five days.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Like, who’s...running the hospitals!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel looked back at him, barely concealing her laughter. “There’s more than one doctor in a hospital.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico huffed. “I just want one fucking cigarette without getting yelled at by some hot doctor, is that too much to ask?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel spun around at that, her eyes alight with joy. “Oh? You’re getting yelled at by </span>
  <em>
    <span>hot</span>
  </em>
  <span> doctors?” She leaned in. “Which one? Is he here now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rolled his eyes before scanning the room, quickly locking on Tall, Blond and Handsome. “No,” he lied, but his eyes didn’t move except to follow one specific doctor through the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He </span>
  <em>
    <span>is!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hazel exclaimed. “Ooh, which one is he?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not here,” Nico insisted, then hurried to correct himself with, “I mean, there’s nobody--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hazel clasped her hands together under her chin. “Aw, you have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>crush!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You should totally ask him out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, absolutely not,” Nico told her. He jumped off the counter, downing the rest of his coffee and then throwing the cup away. He started counting off on his fingers as he said, “One, I don’t have a crush. Two, even if there was somebody - which there’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> - then he’s only here for the conference anyway, so there’s no point to starting anything. And three, I...sort of yelled at him, and probably pissed him off, so even if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> interested, there’s no way he is now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico started to walk away, but Hazel blocked his path. “Okay, but there’s a super easy solution for that!” She grinned at him once more. “Apologize!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico cocked an eyebrow. “No.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Nico! And after you apologize, you can ask him out, and if you’re lucky…” Hazel poked him in the stomach, and Nico swatted her hand away. “He might be local! Or maybe he’s from, like, Evanston, or something. That’s totally manageable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico folded his arms. “It’s not gonna happen, Haze. Sorry.” Calmly, he stepped around his sister and made his way back toward the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why did some people think it was okay to pull a chef out of his busy kitchen just to </span>
  <em>
    <span>compliment him?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He thought that was something that only happened in movies, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>no.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Apparently, rich old men liked to see who was making their food, and became much less excited about meeting the chef as soon as they saw the first hint on ink on his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuckin’ old people. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So now Nico was left to fight through the crowded dining room to get back to his kitchen, grumbling under his breath about wasted time. He’d zig-zagged around tables and waiters, forced to go slightly out of his way and drawing his eye in a new direction - towards a familiar blond sitting a few tables away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s feet moved on their own accord, and his hands plunged into his pockets. He walked toward the table, catching the blond’s eye from across the table before he stepped around. Nico cleared his throat once he was standing at the man’s side, and held out a business card from his pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man only stared at him, stunned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico huffed, barely restraining himself from rolling his eyes. “I’d like to apologize for the way I acted yesterday, so. If you need anything while you’re in Chicago, I’m...around.” Still, the other man didn’t move, only flickering his gaze between Nico’s and the card in his hand. Nico couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling any longer. “Are you going to take the card, or not?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man unfroze and slowly took the card from between Nico’s fingers, a soft smile blooming on his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico had to turn on his heel and walk away right that second before he did something even stupider. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran back to the kitchen and ducked into his office before anyone else could see him, and had to take a few minutes to cool down. He tossed himself into the chair behind his desk and scrubbed his hands over his face, tugging at his hair as he grumbled, “So fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico blocked it out for the rest of the night. He let himself get lost in his kitchen and the monotonous chaos of cooking another hundred meals before the restaurant closed that night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took him another forty-five minutes after closing and cleaning up to get back to his apartment, and he’d been too tired to even check his phone on the Red Line. It wasn’t until he was laying in bed, plugging his phone in and about to leave it on his bedside table that he saw a text from an unknown number.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>[From: Unknown; anything I need, huh? Is dinner a possibility? -Dr. Will Solace ;) ]</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned, and started to type. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>[To: Unknown; if you’re asking for a free meal, that’s not really what I meant]</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He kept his phone in his hands for a few more moments, watching and waiting for a reply, or even just to see if Will would start typing, but nothing changed. He went through the process of adding Will to his contacts, then set his phone aside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> let himself lose sleep over a guy. He did enough of that in </span>
  <em>
    <span>high school.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>He forgot to set his alarm, so he was just getting on the train around noon. Rather than twiddling his thumbs and wishing the train would just skip a few stops, Nico slipped his phone out of his pocket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had a text from Will.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>[From: Will; I assumed I would pay, since I’m the one asking you out and all. But you can pay if you really want to ;) ]</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s heart jumped in his chest. He’d tried not to let himself get too hopeful - because why on earth would Will be interested after Nico had behaved like a child? - but now Will had </span>
  <em>
    <span>asked him out.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. Surely, it was just a casual thing. Will was just in town for some conference! It wasn’t like they would really get the chance to go on more than a single date. And dinner… No, Nico couldn’t do </span>
  <em>
    <span>dinner.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>[To: Will; Dinner won’t exactly work for me since I have to work]</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>No, wait, that sounded like he wasn’t interested! Quick, think of something else!</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>[To: Will; But I could do breakfast tomorrow]</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared down at his phone until he reached his stop, and when he still didn’t have a response, he slid his phone into his pocket and forgot about it. He was stressed all through the dinner rush, wishing he had time to check his phone while knowing there probably wouldn’t be any response anyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even as the kitchen started to slow down, Nico was rushing around like his life depended on it. He tried to force himself to stay occupied even as the orders stopped coming in, right up to the point when the kitchen closed. Finally, once the other cooks had started cleaning up, Jason set his hands on Nico’s shoulder and insisted he take a break. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re obviously stressed,” he pointed out. “Step outside, have a smoke. Or maybe go to the bar and grab a drink. We can handle clean up tonight. I’ll come get you when everyone’s gone so you can make sure we cleaned everything right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned. “I don’t do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you do,” Jason argued, “but I really don’t care. If you want to work overtime, that’s on you. But I’m not going to let you stress yourself into an early grave.” He gave Nico a gentle push toward the doors. “Now go drink yourself to death instead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” He walked away, stopping when he had a hand on the door, and turned back to his staff. “Don’t fuck up my kitchen.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped out into the dining room. Most of the diners had cleared out, and the last remaining were finishing up their drinks and desserts. Nico made his way to the bar, stepping behind the counter and mixing himself a drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, hot shot,” Will’s voice said from off to Nico’s left. “Are you some kind of master mixologist all of a sudden?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico turned around and spotted the blond sitting on a barstool a few feet away, resting his chin on his hand and smiling Nico’s way. Nico set his elbows on the bartop and leaned toward Will. “No, still just a chef. Drinking’s more of a hobby. And you? Drinking alone this evening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will chuckled and took a sip of his own drink. “Nah, I was here with a few friends, but they all turned in already. I wanted to finish my drink.” He nodded his head to the empty stool beside him. “Do you wanna join me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico glanced back at the doors to the kitchen, then to Will. “Sure, I think I have time.” He made his way around the bar and took a seat beside Will, staring down at the glass between his hands until Will bumped him with his elbow, and he looked up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been waiting to hear from you all day,” Will told him. “I was starting to think I’d...overstepped.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico shook his head. “No, sorry, I’ve just been too busy to check my phone. Did I miss something important? Or--” He reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, but Will wrapped a hand around his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! No, nothing huge!” Will interrupted, quickly releasing his hand when he realized what he’d done. “Um. Sorry. There might be...just a couple of potentially embarrassing texts where I maybe come off as desperate. So you can go ahead and ignore those, and maybe just delete that whole thread while you’re at it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his drink, content to watch Will make a fool of himself for a few moments. He was cute when he rambled, Nico decided. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you always this suave?” Nico asked, finally putting Will out of his misery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will huffed. “Only in front of hot guys with a lot of tattoos.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico smirked. “Oh, so you’re a fan of tattoos, huh?” he said as he pushed his sleeves up to his elbows </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh, so casually. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Anyway, what were we talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s eyes dropped to Nico’s forearms, eyes scanning over the tattoos there for a moment before he met Nico’s eyes again. “Hmm?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico laughed, and Will’s eyes widened at the sound. “Are we still on for breakfast tomorrow? Or is that going to fuck with your conference schedule, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Doctor Solace?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Will shrugged. “There will be other conferences. But how many chances am I going to get to have breakfast with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>chef?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico raised his glass to his lips, saying, “Clearly you’re spending time with the wrong people,” before taking another sip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will turned his whole body toward Nico, leaning forward slightly as he said, “Alright, let me rephrase that: When am I going to get another chance to go out with </span>
  <em>
    <span>you?</span>
  </em>
  <span> I thought I already blew it once, so I don’t want to take any more unnecessary risks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding? I thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> blew it when I yelled at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will set a hand on Nico’s arm. “Let’s just both be grateful for second chances, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico smiled, and raised his glass. “I’ll drink to that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will reached over and tapped his glass against Nico’s, then downed the last of his drink. “I should probably head upstairs. I’m going to need all the beauty sleep I can get if I don’t want to look out of place next to you tomorrow. I’ll see you for breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico ducked his head. “Yeah. See you tomorrow, Will.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will stood from his barstool, abandoning his empty glass on the bar and trailing the feather-light touch of his fingertips up Nico’s arm as he left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Nico drank the last few drops from his glass, Jason stepped out of the kitchen and came to stand in front of Nico across the bar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, everybody’s just about cleared out,” he said, then nodded at the empty glass beside Nico. “Who was that guy you were talking to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just some doctor from the convention,” Nico lied, though he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason gave him a look that said he didn’t believe him, but was too tired to argue. Instead, he sighed, and straightened up. “Alright, well, the kitchen’s all yours. See you tomorrow, Neeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you,” Nico replied. He waited until Jason had left the dining room before he pulled out his phone, finally taking a minute to check his texts. He was grinning ear to ear as he typed out a reply to Will.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>[To: Will; you’re right. that was embarrassing]</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The response was instantaneous.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>[From: Will; :( ]</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Living in different timezones did not make for an easy relationship. Sometimes, Nico would get home from work and call Will, forgetting that it would already be past midnight in New York, and sometimes they would schedule a time to watch a movie together, only for Will to show up an hour late because he got the times backwards. But they made it work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spent a lot of time texting, because texting didn’t require an immediate response, and with their busy jobs, immediate answers were never really on the table. (They’d tried Snapchatting for an easy way to see each other’s faces more often, but with twelve hours between each reply, most of their conversations became </span>
  <em>
    <span>what did I say? </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>what were we talking about?)</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Whenever they could, they tried to meet up in person. Will signed up for another conference - in Milwaukee, but close enough - and Nico found a work-related excuse to visit Long Island. Will didn’t really know what he was actually there for, but the important thing was being able to hold his boyfriend in his arms again. The only problem with conferences and...other work-related excuses, whatever they may be, was that they each still had their own responsibilities to attend to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Will’s high school best friend’s wedding? Sure, Will would have to play his part as a groomsman for a few hours, but aside from that, he and Nico would have a whole weekend just for themselves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rarely had the opportunity to FaceTime, but on this one night, Will insisted. When Nico answered the call, he was already in bed, laying on his side with his face half-smooshed into a pillow, smiling tiredly at his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Sunshine,” he said, yawning as soon as he opened his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Darlin’,” Will replied, feeling a tightness in his chest like his heart might explode just from seeing his boyfriend again after so long - he could only imagine what it would feel like once they were together again. “How are you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico rubbed at his face with his free hand. “Fuckin’ exhausted,” he answered. “I’ve been working my ass off to make sure Jason knows what he’s doing while I’m gone, and double checking all the orders to make sure they’ll have everything they need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s run the place before,” Will reminded him gently, “and the kitchen was still standing when you got back, wasn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico let his arm drop onto the bed beside him. “Yeah, you’re right. I just don’t want to have to deal with him calling and interrupting my time with you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s heart leapt. He was going to have </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much time</span>
  </em>
  <span> to spend with Nico. “Babe, I’ll understand if you have to take a phone call or two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico hummed, letting his eyes slip shut for a few seconds as he said, “Nope, not gonna let it happen.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will sighed - a happy sigh, one that said, “I’ve missed you so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s eyes opened and he grinned. “I’ve missed you, too. And in three days you won’t have to miss me anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will thought he might start crying from happiness, but he wouldn’t let himself. “I can’t wait,” he croaked instead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what’s up? Or did you just call to tell me how much you missed me?” Nico asked, blinking at him slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I have an actual reason,” Will said, picking up his pace because he knew from experience that Nico was moments away from passing out. “A few, actually. Can you send me your flight information?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep, I’ll text it to you in the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. And when you start packing, make sure you check the weather, because it looks like it’s going to start getting cold at night, and the wedding’s outdoors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha.” His voice came out softer this time, and Will could tell by the peaceful look on his face that he was nearing the point of no return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also, I got us a hotel room near the venue for the night of the wedding, because my house is, like, an hour away, and I don’t know how late the reception is going to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Kay,” Nico breathed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, this is the last thing. Nico, are you listening?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is super important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look really cute and cozy right now, but I need to know that you’re listening.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘m listenin’.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s mouth curled into a smile, and Will hurried to take a screenshot before Nico moved. “Miss you, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will’s heart swelled. “Did you plug in your phone? And did you remember to set your alarm?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico hummed, which Will chose to take as a yes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He whispered, “Okay. Goodnight, Nico. I’ll text you in the morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was already asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will laid back on his own bed, turning onto his side and holding his phone out so that, just for a second, he could imagine that he was falling asleep beside his boyfriend, but then Nico’s grip on his own phone went lax, and all Will could see was darkness. He sighed, ended the call, and stared out into the empty space of his own bedroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will was falling </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will had maybe shed a few tears when he picked Nico up from the airport, and Nico definitely teased him for it, even if he was a bit misty eyed himself. They were practically inseparable for the night, holding hands for the walk to and from the car, snuggling up next to each other on the couch, and finally falling asleep in each other’s arms in Will’s bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the morning, Will was in a rush to get ready. He had his suit packed up with the intention of changing once he got to the venue, and was racing around the house finding other little things that he may or may not even need that night. All throughout his running around, he was throwing out bits and pieces of information at Nico. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will would be taking an Uber, so Nico should take his car and the keys were on the counter. Nico hadn’t actually driven a car in more than six months, but Will said he trusted him. Nico tried not to feel anxious about this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since Will was in the wedding, Nico would be on his own for a little while, but Will’s mom would be there by herself as well. He assured Nico that she was the nicest lady on the planet, and that they’d get along great. Nico hoped his anxiety wasn’t showing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The venue had a no smoking policy, but technically the parking lot didn’t count as the venue, so if Nico ever needed to sneak off for a smoke, the parking lot would be his best bet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I quit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will stopped in his tracks, spinning around to face his boyfriend. “You what? What did you quit?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Smoking,” Nico told him from his seat on the couch. “I decided to quit after that conference in Wisconsin. So that’s...what, six, seven months ago?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will darted across the living room and planted a kiss on Nico’s lips. “Babe! I’m so proud of you! Why didn’t you tell me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno, it never came up?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will thought back to the last time he’d seen Nico smoking, and frowned. “Wait, but you had a pack with you the last time you came to visit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico dropped his gaze and he scratched at the back of his neck. “Yeah, that was...a moment of weakness. But I never even opened that pack, I promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will pressed another kiss to his cheek before he moved away to continue gathering his things. “I believe you. And I’m proud of you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already said that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Proud of you!” Will called from down the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will!”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico’s anxiety was through the roof. Driving wasn’t as bad as he’d feared, and he was thankfully driving away from the city. He still had to worry about meeting Will’s mom </span>
  <em>
    <span>all on his own.</span>
  </em>
  <span> What if he came off as rude? He’d been a total asshole to Will when they first met, and he really had no idea how he’d managed to get even this far into a relationship - probably because Will only saw him once every three months, and hadn’t gotten tired of his constant swearing yet. Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>god,</span>
  </em>
  <span> what if Nico swore in front of Will’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanted a cigarette.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled up to the venue, stuffing his hands into his pockets to hide his shaking as he walked toward the rows of chairs set up for the ceremony. He stayed on his feet, glancing around in search of somebody who might look enough like Will to be his mom, and probably looking like a scared animal that had been backed into a corner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A woman started to approach him - about his height with brown hair that curled like Will’s, and when she smiled Nico knew she must be Naomi Solace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You must be Nico!” she said with a Southern drawl. “Will has told me so much about you!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” Nico replied, holding out a hand to shake, though he was pulled into a hug instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are exactly how Will described!” Naomi told him, and hooked an arm through Nico’s to lead him toward a seat. She’d started rambling, something about Will and the way he lit up whenever he started talking about Nico.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a breath. He could do this. Nico could sit politely and listen to his boyfriend’s mother talk until the ceremony started, and Nico could get away with not saying a single word. He would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> swear in front of Naomi Solace, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> think about how cute it was that Will inherited his tendency to ramble from his mother.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ceremony was nice, and surprisingly short. Will had winked at Nico when he walked down the aisle, and had continuously met Nico’s eyes throughout the ceremony. The wedding party had taken pictures beforehand, which meant that the guests were able to head straight for their tables where - after a few short speeches - dinner would be served. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will was supposed to be sitting at the head table with the rest of the wedding party, but he kept sneaking over to the table where Nico and Naomi had been placed, which Nico was eternally grateful for. Will had been right: Naomi was the nicest lady on the planet. But Nico could only nod along to what she was saying for so long before he inevitably opened his mouth and offended someone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After dinner were the typical wedding traditions - first dances, bouquet tosses, etc. Nico was content to lean against Will’s chest and watch everything from afar, but of course as soon as the dancing started, Will wanted to be right in the middle of it all. Luckily for Nico, the venue had an open bar, meaning that he at least didn’t have to dance completely sober. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico quickly became both tipsy and exhausted, so Will dropped him back off at the table where he’d eaten dinner, leaving him with a kiss on the cheek as he went to fetch them each some water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico was so focused on watching Will that he didn’t notice when Naomi reclaimed her seat beside him until she started talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you know how happy you make him,” Naomi told him. “I haven’t seen Will smile like this in a very long time, and I know I have you to thank for that. I hope he makes you as happy as you make him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nico grinned, catching Will’s gaze from across the grounds. “He does.” He turned toward Naomi and told her, “I fucking love your son.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading!!<br/>are yall proud of me for finally learning how to swear?<br/>pop back tomorrow for chapter 2!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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